Best 80s Horror Movie
I try not to throw around the term "Best movie ever made" or "Worst movie ever made". I sort of categorise movies, like Twilight is the worst vampire movie ever made or Watchmen (to me) is the best superhero film ever made.
So if Hellraiser was to come in a category of best or worst, I'd call it the best 80s horror/slasher movie, and one of my favourite films of all time (A lot of my film reviews are of my favourite films aren't they?)
Anyway, what I like about Hellraiser is that it's diverse from most slasher films like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. Most slasher films are made to entertain people, not to spread any political messages or anything like that. They're made to be fun. But Hellraiser is a movie so f**ked up you don't even dare look at the screen! Clive Barker (the author of the novel which Hellraiser is based on and the director of the film), was trying to also make Pinhead a slasher villain not like others. He wouldn't crack jokes like Freddy Krueger or Chucky, and he wasn't silent either like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. Pinhead was someone different, and that's why he's my favourite slasher villain.
The acting in the movie is also pretty good, the best performance being Doug Bradley as Pinhead, who is fantastic. Ashley Laurence as Kirsty Cotton is also pretty good, not to mention pretty hot. The make-up effects in the movie are also really good. Pinhead looks amazing, but the real show-stealers are the other Cenobites. Chatterer looks very realistic and I'd hate to have been the actor playing him, having all that make up on your face and constantly having to chatter your teeth.
So to be honest, there's not much else to say other than check out Hellraiser. If you like the first movie then you'll probably like the sequels too...well some of them.